Gallhammer
Gallhammer was a blackened doom/crust trio originating from Tokyo, Japan. An all-women trio with all three performers handling vocal duties with lyrics based in delirium, paranoia, hatred and anti-religion. Gallhammer played depressing, dirge-like doom with interloping elements of raw black metal and crust, drawing inspiration from the likes of Amebix, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Burzum among others. Gallhammer started off by releasing a host of demos and a single album early on. Eventually they would attain major attention from the metal press and thus signed to Peaceville, leading to two more albums in their run. History Gallhammer formed in early 2003 by the trio of Risa Egawa, Mika Sugimura and Eri Isaka, all adopting stage names. Quickly composing a rehearsal tape for their first ever gig at Koiwa Death Fest Vol.2 on 29 March 2003. The trio would follow with a series of further demos over the next year (Gallhammer on 5 July 2003, Endless Nauseous Days on 10 March 2004 and The Worship on 9 August 2004) leading up to the trio's debut album Gloomy Lights on 11 November 2004 via Goatsucker Records. With the band gaining more attention from metal magazines and word of mouth, Gallhammer would eventually sign to Peaceville. Peaceville would compose a host of releases leading up to the band's first album on the label: The Dawn Of on 29 January 2007 (A CD/DVD compilation of demos and early live shows) and Beyond The Hatred on 30 April 2007. Gallhammer's second album Ill Innocence would be released on 24 September 2007 to positive critical acclaim among metal publications. Gallhammer would tour throughout Europe that Fall in support of the album. Peaceville would release a DVD documenting the band's first European tour in Ruin of a Church on 10 July 2008 in the midst of the band's further touring through Europe and Japan. While a special exclusive EP in A Taste of Despair would be released through Peaceville in 2010, by that point guitarist Mika Penetrator would have left the band. Around the same time bassist/vocalist Vivian Slaughter also moved to Oslo, Norway (and subsequently marry Maniac of Mayhem notoriety) and began work on the band's third album with drummer Risa Reaper. With the now duo working in keyboards and saxophones and thus taking their sound in a different direction, The End on 31 May 2011 via Peaceville. On 23 May 2014, Vivian Slaughter would address the lack of updates and state that the band is "practically totally inactive" after releasing The End in 2011.Gallhammer Facebook Discography Studio Albums *'Gloomy Lights' (2004, Goatsucker) *'Ill Innocence' (2007, Peaceville) *'The End' (2011, Peaceville) Other Releases *'The First Reh-tape' (Rehearsal Demo) (2003, Self-Released) *'Gallhammer' (Demo) (2003, Self-Released) *'Endless Nauseous Days' (Demo) (2004, Self-Released) *'The Worship' (Covers Demo) (2004, Self-Released) *'4way Split Series #2' (Split with Sete Star Sept, DxIxE, Fugüe) (2005, Lost Rivers Product) *'The Dawn of...' (Compilation Album + DVD) (2007, Peaceville) *'Beyond the Hatred' (EP) (2007, Peaceville) *'Ruin of a Church' (DVD) (2008, Peaceville) *'A Taste of Despair' (EP) (2010, Peaceville) Members *'Vivian Slaughter' - Bass, Vocals (2003 - 2012) *'Risa Reaper' - Drums, Vocals (2003 - 2012) *'Mika Penetrator' - Guitar, Vocals (2003 - 2009) List of Known Tours *'The Horrors of Satan Tour' (With Darkened Nocturn, Slaughtercult, Denial of God) (2007) *'October 2007 European Tour' (With Skitliv) (2007) *'March 2008 UK Tour' (With Sontaran Experiment) (2008)MySpace External Links *First Gig References Category:Band Category:Kantō Category:Tokyo Category:Japan Category:Crust Category:Funeral Doom Metal Category:Doom Metal Category:Blackened Doom Metal Category:Black Metal Category:Oslo Category:Norway